A Brigham Young University Student Journal
By: Alissa Holm If you’re like me, there’s nothing that sounds better than eating a delicious bowl of taco soup with tortilla chips on a cold winter day. I had never made it myself until this afternoon, and the process was a lot easier than …
When I was younger, I was convinced that I was going to be on Broadway in New York City by the time I reached my early twenties. A few dance classes soon caused me to relinquish that dream since I am as talented at dancing …
Ben and I had the whole shebang—the dress with an unmatchable flowered belt, the gray three-piece suit, the soft white and pink flowers, and the food. Tri-tip sandwiches, horseradish dip, and roasted vegetables—we lucked out.
I got married when I was 20 years and 364 days old. And I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday party. Family and friends spending the entire evening talking, dancing, and eating under hundreds of twinkling lights hanging from the branches of the evergreen trees. It was the best party I have ever been to.
But even better than the gorgeous reception was the ceremony. The absolute best part of May 25th was becoming a part of a brand-new family. Ben and I were thrilled. (And eight months later, we still are.)
When we decided to get married, our families were delighted and our engagement announcement on Facebook got 105 likes. But in addition to the familial joy and social-media merriment, people outside of our closest circles expressed some concern about our age. Many of our acquaintances were telling us, “You are too young, live a little.” (Well, most of them actually said things like, “How old are you?” and “You seem so young,” but we all know what they really meant). Perhaps they saw our engagement as a frivolous and immature fling or an action showing our all-too-earnest desire to be grown-ups. But Ben and I choose to be married because we love each other and we believe in the power, and joy, and peace that comes from the institution of the family.
We believe in families
And, we believe in our family.
So, that’s why I’m here, starting my journey as one of two brand-new senior editors for this blog—a blog for all things family. I am looking forward to spending the semester with you and sharing recipes, pictures, reviews, discussions, and all things wholesome.
Three cheers for family, great stories, and fantastic ideas.
by AmberLee Hansen It was all over rather quickly for William Morrow, as quickly as a noose breaks a person’s neck. Whether or not any of his family was present for his last few moments on Earth is unknown, but if they did gather, several …
We from Stance for the Family would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. We would also like to announce that the second issue of the Stance for the Family magazine has been published. Read through this magazine to to read about various holiday …
by Alissa Holm
Every year, my mom bakes between 5 and 10 pies of all flavors the day before Thanksgiving. In our family, pies are more than just a dessert—they’re a tradition. Nobody knows how to make pie better than my mother, so I’ve snuck into her secret recipe vault to uncover the best recipes for the two most classic, American, Thanksgiving pies—apple and pumpkin—and added to them her famous crust recipe. Bon Appétit!
PERFECT APPLE PIE
6 to 8 tart apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced (6 cups) (Granny Smith & Golden Delicious are best – salted)
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Pastry for one double crust pie
2 Tbsp. butter
(If apples are sweet, sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.)
Mix dry ingredients into apples. Line 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Fill with apples, dot with butter. Moisten the crust around its top edges so the top crust will adhere.
Cut designs into top crust and lay it over apples; press top and bottom crusts together & crimp edges. Sprinkle with sugar, bake at 375–400 degrees for 40 to 50 mins., until done.
TAWNY PUMPKIN PIE
1 1/4 cup cooked or canned pumpkin or winter squash
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 unbaked (9”) pie shell
Combine first 6 ingredients; mix well; add eggs. Mix; add evaporated milk, water, and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake in 400–425 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. To keep crust edges from burning, gently cover with strips of aluminum foil.
BEST PIE CRUST
(makes 4 single crust pies; 2 double crust pies )
4 c. flour
1/2 cup ice water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 3/4 cups shortening (chilled)
Hint: A secret for good pastry is to have all ingredients as COLD as possible. Crumb dry ingredients & shortening until the size of peas. Whip the egg, then stir in water and vinegar; stir into flour mixture a little at a time until it sticks together. (Handle as little as possible.) Divide into 4 equal parts; roll out between wax paper or layers of plastic cereal bag (bag works best!).
by Amanda Ricks Attending the BYU Jazz Ensemble’s Variety Show began as a mere way to get extra credit in my Music Fundamentals class. While I was expecting to enjoy the music of the concert, I certainly wasn’t prepared for one of the most entertaining …
by Alissa Holm We all have our own “What if’s” and “I wish’s” about past phases of life. In an attempt to learn from the past, I’ve come up with a series of blog posts based on this idea: Learning from other’s past experiences to …
In preparation for Halloween, the Stance for the Family blog staffers decided to have a holiday review night! Each staffer selected one or two crafts or recipes that had caught their eye on Pinterest and brought their creations along to share at our review night! Here are our thoughts below—complete with recipes, pictures, and our evaluations on how well they actually stack up against what’s advertised on Pinterest! (Be prepared—we had at least one massive fail!) If you’re looking for some fun Halloween recipes to try, you are bound to find something that interests you!
All the recipes and crafts we reviewed can be found on Stance for the Family‘s Pinterest account: http://pinterest.com/stanceforthefam/
Pumpkin Dump Cake (by Danielle Cronquist)
If you are like me and are a firm believer that all recipes made in October should include pumpkin, then this is perfect. A delicious fall blend of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nuts, the different textures and yummy flavors make this dessert stand out as a divine treat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first six ingredients until well blended and pour batter into a 9×13 greased pan. Sprinkle cake mix on top and then cover with pecans. Pour melted margarine over top. Bake 50 minutes. If desired, top with cool whip or real whipping cream.
I’m not a whipped cream fan (call me crazy), so I opted out of that part and still think that it tastes delicious, but it is a great addition for whipped cream lovers. Pull together this easy recipe for a fall party, a hang out with friends, or for an FHE treat. It is sure to be a hit.
Cake Mix Cookies (by Jaden Anderson)
Cake Mix Cookies are a quick and easy treat great for any time of the year. Did we mention they’re also super delicious? In a large bowl, mix together one package of cake mix (any flavor will do, but chocolate and Funfetti are our favorites), 2 eggs, and 1/3 cup of oil. Feel free to experiment with M&Ms, ROLOs, chocolate chips, or raisins. Preheat the oven to 350°F while spooning out teaspoon size balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Once the oven is ready, pop the sheet in for about 7–10 minutes, depending on how soft and doughy you want your cookies. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes, and then spread on cream cheese frosting if desired. Have fun with it and add on sprinkles, candy, or anything else you like!
Here’s what we had to say about these little gems:
Fall Pumpkin Dip (by Alissa Strong)
I wanted to try this recipe from the moment I saw it, simply because it was served in a pumpkin. What a great way to present food at a fall- or Halloween-themed party! This recipe is definitely a great addition to any fall table.
Mix the pumpkin, pudding mix, cool whip, and pumpkin pie spice together (by hand) in a very large bowl. Chill for several hours before serving. Meanwhile, carve your pumpkin! Spoon the dip into the pumpkin, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with fresh apple slices, vanilla wafers, or ginger snaps.
This recipe was easy and quick to make—definitely an activity you could get the kids to help with. My biggest downfall was choosing a medium-sized pumpkin instead of a small one. The dip didn’t even fill the pumpkin halfway! So I ended up serving the dip in a bowl inside the pumpkin, which was nowhere near as pretty a presentation as I’d intended. But as for the taste… well, here’s what the reviewers had to say:
Candy Corn Pizza (by Alissa Strong)
I knew a lot of people would be making desserts, so I wanted to try a main course recipe. One recipe I’ve been eyeing for awhile is this recipe for candy corn pizza! Don’t be deceived—it’s not sweet at all, although it still looks delicious!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pizza pan with cooking spray and press pizza dough into the pan evenly. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese into a four-inch circle in the center of the pizza dough (the “white tip” of your candy corn!). Take 1 cup of shredded cheese and sprinkle it into a three-inch ring around the circle of mozzarella. Carefully spoon the pizza sauce over the ring of cheddar cheese (this will be your “red” layer). Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese in a ring around the outside of the pizza sauce ring (the “orange” layer). Bake for 12–15 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into slices to resemble candy corn.
This is another easy recipe—our reviewers all agreed that it would be great to make with the whole family. Kids can help sprinkle the cheese and sauce, and they will love eating pizza that looks like candy corn! One variation parents might like to try is doing mini-pizza versions of this recipe, so that it makes more “slices of corn” and more people can enjoy it!
Strawberry Ghosts (by Alissa Strong)
Wash and dry strawberries. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Stir in almond extract. Dip each strawberry in chocolate mixture; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, allowing excess chocolate to form the ghosts’ tails. Immediately press chocolate chips into coating for eyes. Freeze for five minutes. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Dip a toothpick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each face.
I am a college student on a budget, so I modified this recipe slightly by eliminating the almond extract. The recipe worked just fine without it. (Seriously, Pinterest? You want me to buy a whole bottle of almond extract just to use 1/8 of a teaspoon? Not going to happen!) I had a lot of fun dipping the strawberries in the chocolate and making the “ghosts’ tails”—this recipe allows you to use the hull of the strawberry (the green leaves) for dipping, which is a lot easier than dipping cake balls or Oreo truffles.
It was after the chocolate dipping that my troubles started. The chocolate chips I had were way too big to use as eyes, especially for some of the smaller strawberries. So I just decided to draw the eyes on along with the mouths. The toothpick drawing took FOREVER! I’m definitely not an artist, so my ghosts’ faces looked far inferior to the ones in the Pinterest photos. But en masse, they actually looked presentable… and chocolate-covered strawberries always taste yummy! I’d probably put up with the longer preparation time for the festive end result.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars (by Amanda Ricks; recipe from http://tjstestkitchen.blogspot.com)
Ever needed to make a quick dessert, but didn’t have many ingredients or much time? These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars may be perfect for you.
I let the cream cheese soften on the counter for a while then I added it to my stand mixer & beat it with a couple of tablespoons of water until smooth. I just wanted it to thin out a little bit.
In a separate bowl, mix the cake mix, pumpkin, water, & cinnamon together until it is smooth & well mixed.
In a 9×13 pyrex dish—sprayed with PAM—add HALF of the cake-pumpkin mix. Then smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Drizzle half of the cream cheese over the top of it and take a small spatula to smooth it over the top. Add remaining cake-pumpkin mix & also the remaining cream cheese just making layers.
Finally take a butter knife, stick it into the mix, and go back & forth over the top of the cake making figure “8’s” – to blend it a bit.
Preparation of these was not too difficult. I didn’t have a stand mixer, so I used a whisk instead. I also didn’t have a Pyrex dish, so I used a different kind of 9×13 and it turned out just fine. This recipe requires only a few ingredients, which was good for my pocketbook. In addition, the ingredients of this dish aren’t those that you would naturally sneak before you had the time to make the dessert (like chocolate chips or toffee chips.) Relatively healthy as far as desserts go, they were easy and delicious. As one of our Stance reviewers said, “I liked that these were pumpkin-y without being too sweet. And let’s be real—cream cheese makes everything better!”
Marbled Nails (by Amanda Ricks)
Pinterest has long fascinated me with the concept of “Marbled Nails.” According to Pinterest, if you put some water in a bowl and add in your nail polish, swirl the polish, dip your finger in, and remove, you will have a perfectly marbled nail.
Perhaps I’m reading the instructions wrong.
I got the room temperature tap water that was required. I put in some fun colors and swirled it around. I dipped someone’s finger in. The moment I’d been anticipating had arrived, and the results? Well, let’s just say they were a little different than I’d imagined. See for yourself in the accompanying pictures.
by Jaden Anderson In the new animated film Hotel Transylvania, Adam Sandler plays the role of Count Dracula, an overprotective dad who builds a lavish five-star hotel/castle where monsters can get away from the world of “dangerous” humans. Dracula hopes to protect his daughter, Mavis …